Subscribe to this blog

Follow by Email

Hardy Sedums - Some Great Varieties to Try!

Sedums seem to be taking over the plant world and for good reason - these small but tough succulent plants are well suited to the growing conditions of rock gardens, green walls, dry harsh environments and green roofs. They can survive with very little water (in the first year they will need extra watering during a dry period). And many have small but numerous flowers which are amazingly eye catching.

Today low growing sedum varieties are more available than ever thanks to the popularity of green roofs. There are companies that sell Sedum Mats which I think are a great way to install a sedum garden. Just unroll the mat and there you go!

I like to use creeping sedum in the rock gardens that I create - the first year they may look like little clumps but they spread within a year to create a solid cover even on rock outcrops...Sedum 'Angelina' is a fave.

Sedum 'Angelina'

I also like the Sunsparkler sedums. I wrote a post about them. Click here for that post.

Sun Sparkler 'Cherry Tart' Sedum

I could gush about sedums and their variety in shape, colors, texture and more. But photos do a better job. So here are a few hardy sedums (at least USDA zone 5) from the phenomenal Mountain Crest Gardens website that you might consider:

Sedum Acre 'Aureum': Acre is a low growing creeping succulent evergreen with leaves of different shades of green. In spring it bears yellow star shaped flowers. Good strong grower.This variety has light green leaves with a yellow cast. It holds its leaves in winter. Excellent in rock gardens.

Sedum Album 'Coral Carpet': Album is a very tough little plant, with a think mat of stems and leaves. The flowers appear in white clusters shaped like stars with long stamens and red anthers. This variety has small 'bead' leaves of green, turning a lovely coralshade. Low grower with spreading habit. Works well in green roof and vertical wall projects.

Sedum Kamtschaticum Variegatum: Kam. is a very tough drought tolerant species which has half inch golden yellow flowers that open from pink buds usually during early summer. This variety features compact clusters of deep green leaves variegated with creamy white edges. Goes dormant in winter. Zone 4. Great spreader.

Sedum Reflexum 'Sea Gold': Reflexum is a fast growing dense mat of succulent conifer blue foliage with brilliant yellow flowers. This variety has creeping golden green branches (and a blue tinge - see the first photo of this post) with linear leaves which turn rosy in fall. Sun to part shade. 4" -6" tall. Zone 5.Once you get hooked on sedums and their ease of growth and their unbelievable variety you will never look back...Sedum-mania is on!

Comments

Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa?My blog covers a lot of interesting and helpful posts just like yours and I feel we could greatly benefit from each other. And also, I think you'll love my recent blog post titled What To Do When Your Motivation Towards A Goal Wanes

I'm hoping to hear from you too and quickly, you've got a great blog here.

I'm starting to really get into sedums too, after ignoring them for years. I was surprised to read recently that 'Angelina', by some mix-up or late action, is not patented, so we can feel free to propagate away! I like the Cherry Tart you show. I have not seen that in person.

Amy, I did not know that! and btw, I passed your tree quiz on your website to my students at Columbia. Love your website ..will try the bark quiz soon: http://whatbloomswhen.com/judging-a-tree-by-its-cover-a-bark-quiz/

Given the extremely dry year California had last year, and our current non-winter (no rain, no snow, it's not even freezing in January), I am looking more toward sedums, et al., whatever requires little to no water. We've got a well (live in the boonies), and I want to DRINK our water vs. pour it over myriad flowers. =) Thanks for this post. =)

So glad to see the blog about sedums. They are some of my favorites. Your site is wonderful and I feel you have so much information. Love the quotes and photos. I hope to get a lot of inspiration from you. Thanks. (and Amy, heading over to yours too!)

Post a Comment

Popular Posts of all Time

(Angelonia with Helichrysum, petunia, Johnsen Landscapes) Blue is everyone's "favorite color." It is, hands down, the most popular color worldwide and is the least "gender specific" color, having equal appeal to both men and women. Now Purple is giving blue a run for its money as the second favorite color.... Blue is the favored color for toothbrushes, so that says it all! (this info is from a great website: Sensation Color) but can purple be far behind?

Scientists have found that the color blue causes the body to produce chemicals that are calming. This may be why we all like to be around blue....stare at this square and see if it calms you.
In fact, over the past decade, scientists have reported the successful use of blue light in the treatment of psychological problems such as addictions, eating disorders, impotence, and depression.

Moreover, a deep blue/purple such as Indigo or Deep Violet symbolizes mystical wisdom and spiritual insight. It increases cont…

This year I am planting Baptisia 'Purple Smoke'. A deer resistant, native, drought tolerant, purple, long lived perennial! Wow! It is a hybrid of B. australis and B. alba and is a vigorous grower. Discovered by Rob Gardener of the North Carolina Botanical Gardens, it has charcoal-gray stems and is purple. Baptisia is a native perennial that has a long taproot, loves sunny sites with lean or poor soil. Average to dry soil is best. Its deep tap root allows it to survive long dry periods, making it a challenge to move once it is established.

The flowers resemble lupines and are smoky violet. Numerous flowers open first at the base of the flower stalk in May and ascend upwards, topping out at 4.5' tall. It has fine textured, blue-green foliage. The flower spikes rise above the foliage for easy viewing. I love its unique flower color and strong vertical form. A Niche Gardens introduction. Steve Foltz, director of horticulture at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, says …

"How do adults recapture that feeling of joy that children get from play?" This is what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wanted to know. He is a Croation-born professor of American psychology at the Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA and has spent years studying the state of being that he calls "flow."

Flow is what we feel when we are totally absorbed in an activity for its own sake.

This does not refer to a game where you win or lose or to watching a game. "You don't get much out of the passive consumption of pleasure," Csikszentmihalyi* says, "compared to enjoyment which is much more active and creative and self-directive."

Gardening is a great example of an activity that is creative, self directed and gets you into the flow.

You lose yourself when outdoors, planting, deadheading, weeding, edging watering or even raking the gravel (!?)...well, maybe you don't actually rake gravel but you get the idea.

I had a book signing at NY Botanical Garden (NYBG) on April 25 - and as I walked in to the Conservatory, I snapped this photo of the weeping cherry trees in all their spring glory. Good timing - it poured rain the following evening.

Soil pH must be low or acid (5.2-5.5) for the plant to absorb the aluminum.

from nely.bluehortensia blogspot.com
3. Color changes need time to take effect. Consistent treatment is necessary to turn your hydrangeas blue:

Plant your hydrangeas in a phosphorous-free medium, and use a phosphorus-free fertilizer with lots of potassium (i.e. 25-5-30). PHOTO BY DEBORAH SILVER - CHECK OUT HER GREAT WEBSITE- http://deborahsilver.co…

Nothing like piano keys to liven up a garden space....(above photo from Stone Art Blog) Recycling can be many things to many people...

or, in other words, "One man's trash is another's man treasure"

from Stone Art Blog
This piano was placed here in the garden. Here is what Sunny Wieler of Stone Art Blog wrote about this: "Besides being a passionate gardener, my dad is also a passionate piano player, so a few years back we got him a new piano for his birthday. So the old piano spent a while in the shed before he had the great idea to put it out in the garden..."

Little did Sunny's dad know that he was at the forefront of the conceptual art movement:...they would say something like this is a testament to the natural decomposing processes, a statement of the ﻿fragility of life, the impermanence of existence...
his dad would say, 'Hey, why not put it in the garden?" photos of broken concrete from Bourget Bros website

I am teaching a one day class on Wednesday April 16 at the NY Botanical Garden It is a fun, eye opening and fun class! (class size is limited.)I share my insights into landscape design and how to use various cultural and ancient traditions in a garden. I discuss how to use the compelling duality of Yin and Yang in a setting, explain how each of the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) affects us differently, which proportions create a more harmonious setting. I also show how to place rocks in the landscape according to the Japanese understanding. Everyone loves this. and of course, I discuss Color and its effects on our wellbeing...I show 2 beautiful powerpoint to illustrate my talk.. Handouts reinforce the information I provide.Here is what students have written:No
wonder you were instructor of the year! Your talk was delightful, Jan. You gave
us all a thoughtful, colorful start to planting season. I have some great new
ideas. Much thanks!AP, garden design…

Hello! Serenity in the Garden is for anyone who loves the green world and its glories - I share all things 'garden'- flowers, plants, products, designers, techniques and more. The posts are inspiring and informative and are based on my 40 years in the landscape profession.

ALGOFLASH FLOWER FOOD

Algoflash differs from other leading fertilizers -it is a liquid 100% completely soluble in water, a 100% mineral base combined with a range of pure trace elements and magnesium. One liter of concentrate will make 450 liters of fertilizer for use (about 115 gallons).